I.
Behind this friendly
effervescent face,
there are tears
and fears,
buzzing around
like bees.
brooding over the future
murmuring worries, woes and weariness.

II.
Between Lego blocks,
laptops and literature,
three quarters of my day passes
like the hands of a clock,
tick, tock, tick, tock.

III.
Besides living with my mother,
I see dad but we’re not together.
what went wrong?
is family love not as strong?
IV.
Before Hawaii, there was Singapore
filled with myths, legends, and folklore.
from the Merlion to Pele and Kilauea.
a Singaporean toddler,
an American teenager.
blending the best
from the east and west.
intertwining Confucius
with the Founding Fathers,
like a fusion of yin and yang.

V.
Beneath the sunny sky
of an island called Paradise,
I sit and listen to the maestros of life:
Mozart, Beyoncé and J–Pop
words and notes reveal love and pain,
like the haunting, silent, melancholy rain.

VI.
“Being one of a kind is good,” says Mom
“You can be a swan amongst the ducks!
so what if you like math, chess and robotics?
you can aspire
to reach higher
like a girl set on fire!”
VII.
Bemused by those rambunctious, raucous, and rowdy boys,
she is agitated, annoyed and aggravated.
so when they get sent out
by the irate teacher,
she applauds
and feels vindicated.

VIII.
Because
my past endings
blend with present beginnings
so seamlessly,
I wonder
who am I?

IX.
Beyond the gates of school,
my life is like a threadbare tapestry,
filled with lessons learned,
adventures shared,
and dreams foretold.
someday, I’ll wear a cap and gown, with a diploma in hand
slowly unraveling secrets buried in ancient sand